Alex Albon has openly discussed the difficulties he faced during his time at Red Bull Racing, admitting that when he joined mid-season early in his Formula 1 career, he lacked the experience needed to overcome the pressures of competing alongside Max Verstappen. He described the situation as a predicament he could not navigate at the time, highlighting Verstappen’s extraordinary ability to extract performance from the car, even in difficult conditions.
Albon’s perspective sheds light on why several drivers who have partnered with Verstappen at Red Bull have struggled, showing how Verstappen’s formidable talent creates a challenging environment for his teammates.
The Ongoing Search for a Strong Red Bull Partner to Verstappen
After Daniel Ricciardo announced his departure from Red Bull Racing at the end of 2018, the team faced a critical task of finding a reliable teammate for their breakthrough star, Max Verstappen. Pierre Gasly was promoted from Toro Rosso to fill the role, but after a brief period, he was demoted back to the junior team mid-season. Albon was then elevated to Red Bull amid his rookie season, yet he too found it difficult to match Verstappen’s pace and lost his seat following the 2020 campaign.
Since Albon’s exit, Red Bull has continued to struggle in securing a second driver who can consistently support or challenge Verstappen. Sergio Perez experienced fluctuating performances during his tenure before leaving the team at the close of 2024. Liam Lawson’s stint was brief, limited to only two races, and current teammate Yuki Tsunoda is also confronting uncertainty over his future with the team due to ongoing performance gaps.
Albon’s Support for Yuki Tsunoda Amid Teammate Struggles
Albon maintains regular contact with Yuki Tsunoda, empathizing with the challenges the Japanese driver faces competing against Verstappen. Reflecting on his own experience, Albon recognized that it was only with hindsight that he truly appreciated how unprepared he was to handle the Red Bull environment at such a young stage in his career.
Albon explained on the BBC’s Chequered Flag podcast,
“I see it quite clearly. I think it’s split in many ways. The time that I was at Red Bull, I joined six months into my Formula 1 career, and I just realised, in hindsight, I was in a predicament when I joined the team at Red Bull, because I had a car that I wasn’t comfortable with, and I didn’t know, I didn’t have the experience to get myself out of it.”
He added,
“I struggled with it, but my experience level wasn’t to the point, and my maturity as a human being, to understand how to get myself out of that situation.”
I see it now, and I understand the same feelings. I speak with Yuki a lot, and try to help him in any way I can.
Alex Albon, F1 Driver
Albon’s insights emphasize the intense pressure Verstappen’s teammates experience, often facing one of the most talented drivers in the sport’s history.
Why Max Verstappen Stands Out on the Track
The extraordinary gap between Verstappen and his teammates has been a source of fascination and speculation in the F1 paddock. Albon attributes this difference not to the machinery alone but to Verstappen’s remarkable skill that allows him to maximize the car’s capabilities regardless of its weaknesses.
Albon noted,
“He can drive a car that’s not comfortable to drive, and I think he can hide a lot of problems, and he’s the one that can clearly drive it.”
This ability to adapt and perform consistently under various circumstances distinguishes Verstappen as a driver of exceptional caliber, making competition for the second seat at Red Bull uniquely challenging.
Yuki Tsunoda’s Fight to Secure His Position at Red Bull
With seven races left in the season, Yuki Tsunoda remains under pressure to prove his worth and secure his future at Red Bull. Recent races have shown signs of progress, including a strong sixth-place finish in Baku, coinciding with Verstappen’s consecutive victory.
Despite these improvements, Tsunoda faces stiff competition from rising rookie Isack Hadjar, who is impressing in the junior Racing Bulls program and is widely tipped as a potential threat to Tsunoda’s place.
Red Bull sporting director Peter Mekies praised Tsunoda’s performance in Baku, calling it the Japanese driver’s best race of the year:
“I think he was strong in qualifying; he was very strong in the race.”
Mekies noted that Tsunoda was consistently within a few tenths of Verstappen’s pace, an impressive feat considering Verstappen was dominating the field.
He added,
“We thought he will have to defend very hard against McLaren and Ferrari to help with Max chasing the win, and he didn’t have to defend. He was actually there on merit and, Lando [Norris] stayed behind him and didn’t put much pressure on him. So it’s his best, not only result, but also race pace with us.”
It was really the one thing we wanted that probably was the most important for us to get that sort of clean sample, we said last time. And I think he was listening, and it’s good.
Peter Mekies, Red Bull Sporting Director
These encouraging signs suggest Tsunoda is adapting to the demands of racing alongside Verstappen, though the seat remains precarious given the presence of talented newcomers.
Looking Ahead: The Future of the Red Bull Team Lineup
The ongoing challenge for Red Bull is to find a stable and competitive teammate who can complement Max Verstappen, a driver whose talent continues to redefine Formula 1’s standards. As established drivers like Sergio Perez exit and rookies like Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda battle to secure seats, the team closely monitors emerging prospects such as Isack Hadjar.
Alex Albon’s candid reflections and mentoring indicate the intense developmental curve required for those competing in Verstappen’s shadow, underscoring the complexity of maintaining a balanced driver pairing within Red Bull’s high-performance environment. How the team evolves its lineup over the coming seasons will be crucial to sustaining their dominance in Formula 1.
